A Gentleman On Remnant
by LadyOfWar2005
Summary: This fairy tale begins, as most of them often do, with a man of some importance coming to a place that he never should have been. Little did anyone know, from the Great and Powerful to the Wicked in the West, that this fairy tale wouldn't be quite what they expected. (Older Harry)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"_A Gentleman Inspired Others To Dream More, Learn More, Do More And Become More"_

_?_

* * *

The towering buildings of Atlas city were quite a sight to behold for someone that has never gazed upon their beauty before, especially given that not many people were even able to _live_ in Atlas due to limited space and the fact that it was literally a floating city. Only the rich, powerful, or brilliant were even considered to be allowed to live in Atlas, not including its Huntsman school that had recently been incorporated into their military. Still, transports could be seen coming and going from the floating marvel of modern engineering almost day and night, but one such transport was rather special when compared to the others. It wasn't what this transport was carrying, but rather who.

As the ramp lowered to allow those traveling to Atlas to exit the vehicle, one man stood apart from all the others in both appearance and mood. Tall and slender, yet not to the point that he lacked a decent amount of muscle, a man in apparently his late forties to early fifties strolled out as if he owned the very ground in which he walked. Messily, yet surprisingly well groomed, black hair was swept back and out of his face; the lines of silver that ran through his black locks and well trimmed beard gave him a very mature look. His strong jaw and aged lines around his face didn't detract from his more refined handsomeness in any way. In fact, it was his bright emerald eyes that showed just how youthful he still was despite his body saying otherwise.

Yet it was his clothes that really set him apart from the other passengers in which he shared a transport with, or more specifically it was the quality in which they were made. First was his well fitting dress shirt, being smooth to the touch while retaining his body head while in such a cold environment. His pants were equally well made, as was the belt he wore with a lion's head belt buckle portrayed proudly. The riding boots he wore, in which his pants were neatly tucked into as to keep in as much warmth as possible, were of a stylish black leather with red highlights dancing across them until they came to a small metal head just above his toes. Finally, to top everything else off, he wore a well made vest under a wool double breasted business overcoat.

_CLICK. CLACK. CLICK. CLACK_

Ah yes, and one could not even fail to notice the high quality cane held loosely in his right hand, covered by a black leather glove. The shaft was made of fine wood, pure hickory heartwood if one were to ask, while a roaring silver lion's head was crafted as the handle. It should also be noted that the lions eyes had been replaced by small rubies,

This was Harrison James Potter, a well to do business man that had seemingly appeared out of thin air and managed to build a business that rivaled that of the Schnee Dust Company; reportedly in only a few years when compared to the generations it took the Schnee family. Rumor has it that he's been going to every major kingdom, investing it what many would consider small businesses, and somehow turning out such a large profit. Weapons, dust, real estate, protection for villages outside the kingdoms, and even dabbling in scientific study. Now he has come to Atlas.

The streets of Atlas were no different than any other city, even having vehicles for the limited roads they were able to pave, and as such a new arrival would eventually find themselves surrounded by stores of every shape and size. There were weapons stores of various sizes, clothing fronts with many surprises, but what drew Harry's attention the most was a small little place serving not even a ghost. It was a quaint little tea shop, tucked out of the way and standing out against the polished metal with its dull red brick.

"Hm, perhaps one cup before I get down to business," Harry mused, a small smile playing across his lips, "Heh, I guess I still have a bit of the old me lurking around a bit."

The inside of the tea shop could only be described as warm and wholesomely inviting to even the coldest of individuals. While the walls were still lined with the same red brick as the outside, the many paintings that hung upon them depicted open grasslands and fields of beautiful flowers. Roaring in the back corner was a large fireplace, using real wood instead of just being for decorations, and resting upon them were several small glass houses with unique designs for each. Leaning up against the counter, with a book held open, was a young woman that looked no older than twenty. Judging by the image displayed on the cover of said book, she was well entranced by a juicy romance novel. Harry smiled a bit as he approached the counter and the girl made no move to even indicate she heard him.

"Is it a good read?" Harry wasn't going to lie, what remained of his Marauder side got a small kick out of watching the young girl almost jump out of her own skin with a flush spreading across her otherwise pale face.

"Oh my Oum, I am so sorry mister," the girl apologized profusely, tucking a strand of long dark brown hair behind her ear as she quickly shut her book and tucked in beneath the counter; Harry noted the flush never left her cheeks even after she got her breath under control.

"That's quite alright," Harry raised his hand in a placating gesture, cutting the poor girl off before she could continue apologizing, and gave her the kind of charming smile only a well cultured man could give, "I can understand the temptation of a very good book well enough. No harm done."

The girl let out a shaky breath as she gave him a nervous smile, clearly happy that she wasn't in any trouble and hopefully her boss wouldn't hear about her reading on the job. She just got the job and has to catch a transport from Mantel every morning just to make it to work; she kind of needed the money.

"Thank you, sir. Now, how can I help you?" she asked, pulling out her work scroll and preparing to take Harry's order; Harry looked to consider his options for just the briefest of moments.

"Earl Grey, please, and, if it's not too much trouble, could I trouble you for one of those slices of lemon cake?" Harry asked, the little pastry had caught his attention and he did have some time to indulge himself.

"Of course, sir. If you'd like to pick a table, I'll bring it out to you when it's ready," she motioned towards the very empty tables and booths, put one or two soft leather chairs with a table positioned next to them.

Harry just nodded his head, turned, and went to claim one of the leather chairs that was practically calling out to him like a long lost lover. The seats on the transport ship he'd come in on had been less than relaxing, despite how high class they already were, and nothing could quite compare to real leather. Harry let out a content sigh as he sat down, leaning his cane up against the side of his chair while crossing one leg over the other, and pulled out his scroll to help pass the time. Hermione would have loved this place, both the tea shop and Atlas itself, but more specifically she would have loved to find all the secrets Remnant had to offer.

This place really was something else, being so similar to earth in some ways and yet so vastly different in others. Young adults being taught from a young age to fight a seemingly never ending wave of monsters bent on their destruction. Abilities so close to magic, their souls being made manifest into personal shields that protects them from danger and yet is subconsciously shut down to allow for day to day life. Harry's first few years on Remnant were quite interesting, to say the least, but he was nothing if not resourceful. Sure he could have lived a simple life, that's always an option in his current line of work, but even after all this time he still had a saving people thing. Still, he had an appointment list to check and it wasn't time to go down memory lane.

**12:00-1:30 FLIGHT TO ATLAS**

**1:30-2:15 FREE HOURS TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH ATLAS**

**2:30-4:00 MEETING WITH CEO OF SCHNEE DUST COMPANY**

**4:00-5:30 DINNER**

"Hm, good, everything's in order," Harry said to himself, closing his scroll and slipping it back into his jacket's inside pocket; just in time for his tea and lemon cake to arrive with a kind smile from apparently the only worker on staff at the moment.

"What's your book about?" Harry suddenly asked the moment the young woman got back to the counter and tried to look busy, no doubt because she actually had someone to serve and didn't want to look like a lazy worker that didn't do anything when no one was around.

"Excuse me?" she asked in return, her attention now fully back on Harry.

"Your book, what's it about? I'm assuming it has a plot?" Harry teased more than asked, wondering if he'd grown to enjoy making younger people all flustered or if it was just because this young woman brought back memories from quite some time ago.

"Um...yes sir, it does have a plot. It's based on an old fairy-tale I was told about as a little girl. About a young traveler that rescues a princess from her evil father and they go off to live together. I mean, it's a little more detailed than that, with names and places and things, but...yea," she rambled, messing with the ends of her shirt like a nervous tick, but Harry just kept smiling.

"You're new to this kind of job, aren't you?" it was a statement more than a question, mostly because it was just that obvious to someone like Harry.

In turn the girl glanced away, almost like she was too embarrassed that she'd been found it, "Am I that obvious?"

"It's perfectly alright, especially for someone so young," Harry said, sipping some of his still smoking tea before setting it down with a satisfied sigh, "But the real question is; would you like to know a few tricks to make it better?"

The young woman seemed to think about it for a long moment before moving to sit down on the leather seat across from Harry, making sure to face the door just in case an unlikely new customer decided to walk in. It would be in that very chair that Harry would begin giving her pointers on how to appear more steady footed when meeting new people. Look them in the eye but don't stare rudely. Keep your back straight when standing because slouching makes it look like you don't care. Introduce yourself in the first or second sentence, depending on how in a rush the customer is. She grew a bit more flustered when he brought up better ways to read a book without being caught by a random customer walking in out of the blue.

Before either of them knew it, thirty minutes had flown right on by and Harry's scroll buzzed to let him know he'd better get a move on. It brought a smile to his face when, after only knowing him for half an hour, the young woman was now speaking so casually to him. She hadn't even noticed, which was the best part in his mind, and she'd quickly put his hints into practice. Still, Harry had work to do and it was time to get to it.

"Well, it would seem our time together has come to an end," Harry said, his tea and cake long since consumed, as he retrieved his cane and stood up from the still rather comfy leather chair.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time," the girl went to apologize for what felt like the hundredth time, but Harry once again silenced her by simply raising his hand.

"Don't be, I rather enjoyed having someone to talk to in order to pass the time. In fact, I think I'll come back to this place again since the company was so nice," Harry replied with a smile, moving to the door without a second word.

"My name is Ashley, by the way!" the girl called out just as Harry opened the door to the shop, "All this time talking and I never introduced myself."

Harry turned back to face Ashley, giving her a mock bow, "Harrison James Potter, it was a pleasure to meet you, Ashley."

And like that, Harry stepped back out into the busy Atlas streets and went on his merry way. A rather strong gust of cold wind made Harry flip up the collar on his coat, which was followed by buttoning up a few more buttons to keep the collar up, but nothing would really chase the cold away until he got to where he needed to go.

_CLICK. CLACK. CLICK. CLACK._

The sound of Harry's cane clacking against the concrete sidewalk was like an ominous bell to all who could hear it, which made the crowded streets unconsciously part and make way for his passing. It also came to Harry's attention that he'd only seen humans since arriving in Atlas, which unfortunately began to validate the rather disturbing rumors he'd heard about how they viewed the faunus species. Even down in Mantal, where everyone was borderline poor and down on their luck, the few faunus he'd seen were homeless or just about there. Perhaps, once his business with the Schnee Dust Company was complete, Harry would see about doing away with such barbaric social norms.

The buildings grew larger and larger the deeper he traveled into the very heart of the floating city, until he came across a building that didn't quite fit in with the rest. It was a mansion by every definition of the word, grand in design with the Schnee family glyph floating atop three pillars placed directly in the middle of the massive "U" shaped driveway, and no doubt extremely expensive. Harry had found it rather interesting that the founder of the S.D.C., a well respected man by the name of Nicholas Schnee, had allowed his son-in-law to take control of the company instead of his one and only daughter. After all, it was a well known fact that Nicholas had no problem with women taking charge, giving that he married Margaretha von Waldek of all people, and had no doubt conditioned his daughter to eventually take command. Now, if the rumors were to be believed, Nicholas sat in some far off country home while his company's reputation was being ripped apart faster that a pack of wolves could kill a pitiful little rabbit.

It was also rather odd that someone like Jacques Schnee, formally of the low and modest family of Gelé, was able to convince the founder of the most powerful company in the world that he was worthy enough to marry his daughter. Harry considered the many ways the young Jacques could have gone about pulling off such a miracle, from seducing Willow Schnee with soft words to somehow gaining leverage over Nicholas himself in some way shape or form. Just another thing he would get to look into during his wonderful stay in Atlas City.

Walking up to the overly large doors, Harry reached out with his cane and pressed the snowflake shape button just to the side. Even from outside, Harry could hear the highly stylized sound of the doorbell ringing within the massive mansion. The door opened and a short portly man greeted him; Klein Sieben if Harry's research into the Schnee family was accurate, to which he had no doubt it was.

"Can I help you, sir?" Klein asked with as much politeness as a man of his station was expected to show, especially since he was the personal butler to the entire family and had been hired on by Nicholas Schnee himself.

"Good evening," Harry greeted with a slight nod of his head and a tip of his cane, "I believe I'm expected. Harrison James Potter, here to see Jacques Schnee."

Klein seemed to stand a little straighter at those words, his shoulders nice and square, white his eyes shifted color from light brown to a solid yellow, "Of course, sir, please come in!"

The main entry was massive in size, not to mention as equally ghastly in Harry's eyes, and it did well to show off the Schnee family fortune. The large stairway, which went right down the middle before splitting off in two directions to the second floor, was made out of ivory stone and had a blue carpet going right up the middle. On either side of the stairwell were equally as large statues of knights standing at the ready, their armor matching that of which Nicholas himself wore in his younger years. Not to mention the snowflake design on the marble floor was made of two distinct shades of blue.

"Quite the decorator Jacques must employ," Harry commented lightly, feeling as if stepping inside hadn't diminished the cold in the slightest.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Schnee felt like changing some things from the way Sir Nicholas preferred them," Klein's eyes flashed a bright red for the briefest of moments before returning to their bright yellow, "Oh, how rude of me, may I take you coat, Mr. Potter?"

"Ah, no thank you," Harry waved the balding man away politely, "I'm still not quite used to Atlas weather and it's still rather cold to me."

"Very well, if you'd wait here just a moment, I'll inform Mr. Schnee of your arrival," Klein was gone a moment later, leaving Harry alone in the big empty main hall; being here reminded him of a colder version of Hogwarts.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Harry opened them to find the world around him had changed; or more specifically the manor had changed. What was once cold and blue, was now replaced by bright shades of red and royal purple. The chandelier above him glowed with red dust instead of blue, the statues next to the stairs had been replaced by roses, and the blue rug was now a deep purple with an intricate red pattern. It was what this place looked like before Jacques took over.

"Hm, good taste, Nicholas."

The sound of footsteps cleared Harry's mind, the room returned to its normal cold self, and Harry turned to find someone new standing before him. This new person was wearing a pure white double-breasted blazer with a red handkerchief in the breast pocket. Underneath, he wears a light-blue dress shirt, vest and a white clip-on tie , printed with the same emblem on his shoes and above his study. He also has a silver-colored ring on his right hand. Slicked back coal black hair sat atop his head with a pencil thin mustache on his lip, not to mention his ice cold blue eyes.

He was none other than Jacques Schnee.

"Mr. Potter, I trust your time in Atlas has been well?" Jacques asked, offering his hand for Harry to shake to which he did.

"I've only just arrived a little more than an hour ago, but so far it has lived up to its reputation as the miracle of modern science and engineering," Harry replied in kind, following Jacques after the man motioned for him to follow down one of the many hallways branching out into the Schnee property; Klein followed dutifully behind them both.

"Very good, very good, would you like a tour before we discuss business?" It was well known that powerful men hardly had any spare time, but such was the burden of success.

"As enjoyable as that would be, I'm afraid that my schedule is rather packed at the moment. I hope you understand," Harry eyed the paintings and statues as they walked down the corridor, spotting one of the Schnee family that looked relatively new.

Jacques was obviously in the picture, standing in the back with Willow Schnee to his left and a young girl placed firmly in between them. Harry had heard rumors about the beautiful daughter of Nicholas Schnee, but those rumors did little justice to reality. Judging by the picture, Willow was a tall and fit young woman with pale skin and slanted blue eyes. Her long white hair, exotic in its own right, was long and hung loose in the picture. Also, the dress she wore fit her perfectly; the dark blues and light purples were definitely her style.

"Ah, I see you've stumbled across by two girls," Jacques said when he'd noticed Harry stop to admire the painting, a small smile playing across his lips as he too gazed up at the images of his wife and first born.

"You're quite a lucky man, to have such a beautiful family. Were it that everyone was so lucky."

"Yes, you've no idea how long it took me to prove myself to Nicholas. He was a man that wanted the best for his daughter and I was dead set on proving that I was the one. Upon our first outing, Nicholas took me Grimm hunting and put the fear of the gods into me," Jacques admitted freely, remembering what it was like to be in Nicholas' suffocating presence when he summoned quite a few of his famed glyphs to make his point.

Soon enough both businessmen moved on and eventually arrived in Jacques' office, which looked just a bit more inviting than the rest of the manor. The book shelves that lined both walls were filled to the brim, which was an odd sight in this day and age. Two sofas sat in the middle of the office, a small coffee table between them with an unused chessboard sitting upon it. Further along was Jacques' desk itself, no doubt made out of some finely crafted wood and filled with the most advanced computer technology that money could buy.

"Would you care for something to drink?" Jacques asked politely, walking over to where an assortment of drinks sat with two empty glasses, "Wine, scotch, whiskey?"

"Two fingers of whiskey, please."

With their drinks poured and their seats taken, it was time to get down to business. Harry's goal was rather simple in form but complicated in acquisition. Jacques' goal was to find out if he could use Harry to turn and even larger profit and branch out into other areas not dominated by dust mining. It was like a game of chess, but only one of them knew they were even playing.

"So, a mutual friend of ours, who I take very seriously, said that you're looking to get into the dust mining business," Jacques said, taking a sip of his drink before putting it down on the table in between them, "And while I have no problem selling you the mine you requested, a part of me can't help but wonder why you'd want one of my stripped ones? I've sent in multiple teams over the years and they've all told me the same exact thing; the mine is bare of all dust veins worth the effort."

Harry grinned a bit, "What if I told you that they were wrong? That I could guarantee at least twenty more years of production from this single mine alone?"

"I'd ask what your secret was and how much it would cost me to be included in it," Jacques knew that dust mines all across the world were slowly but surely beginning to run dry, meaning the life blood of his company would run out.

"I'm afraid the secret must remain mine and mine alone, but that doesn't mean you can't still profit from it. On average, according to your public records at least, your largest mine produces a little more than seven tons of pure raw dust a week. Of the twenty three mines owned by the S.D.C., fifteen of them are supposedly more than half way depleted," Harry finished his drink with one last tilt of his head, "If we go into business together, this one mine you sign over to me will produce more than double what those fifteen could. In fact, the only thing that would slow it down was that it would need to be physically mined."

Harry could see the disbelief in Jacques' eyes, could feel the uncertainty practically oozing of him in waves. It's why Harry had spent the last few years building a reputation of being able to pull off the impossible, while also keeping to the agreed business arrangements that are agreed upon. Yet still, even will her booming reputation, this would be little more than an act of faith on Mr. Schnee's part. Even if it would amount to little risk for himself.

"How long will you be in Atlas for?" Jacques inquired, Harry smiled.

"For as long as there is business to be done,"

_HOOK_

"If you'd be willing to provide proof of what you say, after I've signed the mine over to you, then we can talk more on furthering our partnership."

_LINE_

Harry held out his hand, the light catching his emerald eyes in a way that almost made them glow, "Very well, I'll stick around for now, I'm a man of my word."

Jacques shook it.

_AND SINKER!_

"Now then, since our business is concluded for the day and yet our time isn't up, perhaps you could regale me as to how you managed to grow your own company so quickly and in so little time? The upper echelons of Atlas society have been drenched in rumor after rumor for quite some time now," Jacques proposed, getting an almost bashful look from Harry.

"Why, I wasn't aware that my story was so interesting. Very well, you could say my story began not long after I'd been robbed by a rather angry woman."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_One of the methods of manipulation is to inoculate individuals with the bourgeois appetite for personal success."_

_\- ?_

* * *

Green tea wasn't one of Harry's preferred cups, at least not when he had an option of something much sweater, but every now and then he'd indulge himself in something different. It was nine in the morning when Harry walked into a familiar tea shop, almost two weeks after arriving in Atlas, and was greeted by a smiling Ashley; who was just finishing up another customer's order. His order came out not long after he sat down in his new favorite chair, the local newspaper provided some entertainment until that time, and Harry's morning starting off with a content sigh after his first sip was taken. According to the news, as reliable as it was expected to be, there has been increased sightings of Grimm along the borders of every kingdom and not nearly enough hunters to keep them all at bay. This worried Harry, or more specifically he was worried about the many small towns and villages that lived outside the protection of the four kingdoms and thus were often consumed by the Grimm.

Harry's own study into the Grimm, although limited in some regards, revealed quite a bit more than even the greatest Atlas scientist was able to discover. For one, a Grimm was made up _entirely_ of pure concentrated dark energy the likes of which Harry could only compare to the darkest of the magical arts, but with a far more savage undertone. They also possessed no internal organs, not even a brain or heart, and that any substance they consumed was quickly broken down by the energy they were made up of. In Harry's mind, it was as if some god wanted to make a bastardized version of life without putting in any of the work to do so. Finally, Harry discovered another fact that gave him personally one of the largest advantages that no other person on Remnant had over the Grimm. No matter how large or how old, all Grimm could be killed quite easily with the use of magic.

Even something as strong and ancient as an Alpha Megoliath, who had lived for hundreds of years without meeting a single creature that could stop its charge, was taken down by Harry with a single use of Avada Kedavra. Don't be too surprised at his use of a dark spell; Harry's a grown man and such a simple thing as good and evil spells was of the mindset of children. Not that the Megoliath had any real opinion on then when its body was suddenly turned to ashes by the bolt of green magic. Oh yes, Harry had hunted many a Grimm in his younger years and used his magic to wipe out who packs in a matter of moments. Naturally he did this far away from the kingdoms and not around other people if he could help it; he didn't want to be put in the limelight again.

Harry glanced down at his scroll to check the time, noting that his second meeting with Jacques Schnee was creeping up on him. This was the day he would both be getting his mine, the first of many he planned to take over, and would further sink his teeth into the S.D.C.. Harry smiled to himself for a moment; it was a slow process but he'd change Remnant for the better. Even if he had to drag them kicking and screaming into a brighter and happier world. He'd done it before and he's more than capable of doing it again.

"Free refill for my celebrity customer," Ashley spoke up, a pot of steaming tea in her hand and a big smile on her face; Harry smiled back and nodded in thanks.

"Finally figured out who I was," Harry teased just a bit, watching Ashley's cheeks flush in a cute way, "I'm flattered, really."

Ashley just rolled her eyes, more so to buy time for her blush to slip away unnoticed, before gracing the older Potter with a reply, "Well, after you first came in, I figured you had to be someone important. Low and behold, I'm serving tea to _the_ Harrison Potter. My boss nearly had a heart attack when I told him."

"You give me too much credit, I'm just a humble businessman that has good taste in tea," Harry wasn't even trying to sound humble, not even a little, but the ease in his eyes spoke volumes about how laid back he really was.

"Right, and I just pour drinks for a living," Ashley said with a quick flash of a grin before taking off to get back to work, leaving Harry once again to his own personal thoughts.

"Hm, oh what's this?" Harry murmured when a rather interesting article caught his eye.

The article was in big bold letters, as writers tended to do to catch the attention of their readers, but it was what was typed after that was really eye-catching. Ghira Belladonna, the current high leader of the White Fang Activist Group, was announcing his intent to further boycott any merchandise sold by the S.D.C. until such a time as the miners were given better pay for their work and more safety equipment to avoid unnecessary loss of life. The boycott wasn't all that unusual, the White Fang had been doing similar things all across Remnant ever since their founding, but to come out and say it so blatantly was rather bold on their part. This Ghira had a set of brass ones, no doubt about that, to take on the largest dust mining company in the world.

The article further went on to say, with pictures included, about how faunus workers were being treated as little more than slaves at the mines. The picture might have been a little out of focus, but you could clearly make out the several massive cages filled with faunus of all ages. Jacques was going to have an aneurysm when work finally reached him, if he hadn't already heard, and all that money he spent trying to bury the truth was now wasted. Maybe Harry would send Mr. Belladonna a fruit basket.

"I suppose Menagerie will be my next spot, one I'm done with Atlas. Hm, what can they offer me and what can I offer them?" Harry asked himself, pulling out his scroll to list down some ideas for a later date, "The chief problem is Menagerie is an island that's two-thirds inhospitable desert, ironically due to the natural wildlife and not the Grimm. Nothing some hired muscle couldn't solve, or maybe a wandering bandit tribe looking to plant roots somewhere safe from the other kingdoms. Next I'd say is the food and dust they have to import just to survive, but that's easily solved once my business here is concluded. What else, what else?"

Harry would spend the rest of his free time just sitting there making plans, thinking of the best way to go about convincing a beaten and angry species that they don't have to fight the whole world. Eventually however, time would run out and Harry's scheduled appointment with Mr. Schnee was to take place.

_CLICK. CLACK. CLICK. CLACK._

Two men rode in the Schnee family's personal airship, one dressed in all white and blue while the other wore a stylish black and red with just a hint of gold. Well, it was just two men of any real importance but there were several more S.D.C. security guards decked out in full combat gear. Their helmets covered the majority of their heads, including their eyes, while their white body army were stamped with the Schnee glyph on their breastplates. Held in their hands were the latest rifles produced by the Atlas military, as part of the deal Jacques managed to accomplish during his first year as the company's CEO. The sad thing was, in Harry's eyes, these men and women were little more than a PMC (Private Military Company) that hadn't broken off into the wider world yet.

"Quite a lot of security," Harry commented offhandedly, "For a simple trip out into the countryside."

"A necessity I'm afraid, for both your safety and my own. With the latest threats against both myself, my family, and my company as of late, I'm not willing to risk traveling so far away from Atlas without the proper protection," Jacques explained, his mood being rather sour, meaning he'd no doubt read the morning paper; Harry's smile was _very_ subtle.

"Ah, I see, you can never be too careful after all. I assume they are also trained to deal with the unlikely event that we encounter any Grimm?" Harry inquired, noting how some of the younger looking security guards grew tense at the mention of Grimm.

"They may not be as flamboyant as Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they've received even more intense training than most Atlas soldiers. I pay for the best and I expect the best."

"_Mr. Schnee, Mr. Potter, we're on our final approach to the mine. The foreman will be waiting for you on the landing pad,_" came the pilot's voice over the speakers, the luxury cabin shaking just a bit as they began their descent; raging winds and snow battering their ship relentlessly.

Within moments of touching down on the frost covered landing pad, an unfortunate reality of having a mine out in the snow covered wasteland that made up most of Solitas, both men stepped out into the cold. Harry with his thick black coat, the collar once again pulled up to break the wind before it could hit him in the face, and Jacques with an almost batching white one; once again with his family glyph printed on it. Harry noted how the foreman fidgeted in place, even if it was well hidden under her thick coat and the natural shivering that came with standing in such low temperatures for long periods of time.

"Mr Schnee, Mr. Potter, welcome to _Site #2_!" the foreman yelled over the raging winds, stretching out his hand for the two important men to shake, to which Jacques promptly ignored while Harry was much more polite, "If you'll follow me, I've emptied the mine per your instructions and the drilling machines have been shut down!"

"Drilling machines, I was under the impression that all dust mining had to be done by hand?" Harry asked as they made their way towards the impressively large mine entrance, where thankfully the wind broke against the small mountain and allowed them to speak normally.

"The actual dust does need to be mined by hand, but getting through all that rock would take too long. Luckily for us, the Atlas government approved research and construction of dust detection equipment. While it's not out on the open market yet, being still in its testing phase, someone with my connections was allowed to purchase one; as long as Atlas receives some of the profit of course," Jacques explained, motioning towards the rather smooth tunnel that had been drilled out and the smaller ones that required a more manual approach.

"Hm, that seems like a worthwhile investment," Harry had seen much more impressive technology, but for these people it was good enough progress wise, "So I take it you use it at each of your mines?"

"Only the larger ones that have proven their value without it. You see it sends out a pulse through the area, which is then received by several sensors, almost like a radar attuned specifically for dust. Since dust is more delicate than rock, it shows up differently on the scans and we can get a 95% reading. Or, at least that's how they explained it to me. To be honest with you, my experience is in the boardroom instead of the lab," Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, wondering if Jacques spent the last night looking over this device's purpose and just told him what he himself managed to comprehend.

"Hm, impressive," once they arrive in one of the last remaining caverns that had still mineable dust, Harry came upon another discovery that made him frown.

Located in the center of the large cave was an assortment of cages stacked on top of one another with ladders leading up, like some sort of demented pyramid. So even here the faunus are treated like a slave force, kept in the mine itself so that all they knew was how to work. At one point in his life, Harry wondered why almost every civilization had slaves at one point or another. All the way from the very first civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, to countries five thousand years later. Even on different worlds, people still resorted to slavery.

"Hm, I see you've optimized your workforce by having them sleep in the work area," Harry pointed out, gesturing to the cages with his cane, "But doesn't the residual dust in the air make their lifespans rather short?"

Jacques hesitated at this, wondering just how much to say and if he could really trust Harry, but relented, "There are plenty of homeless that desire jobs, enough to keep my mines going, and thus I'd have no need to get the proper filtering equipment to keep them safe from the dust. After all, when a work horse breaks its leg, you just put the animal out of its misery."

Harry just gave a brief smile, "Indeed, but now onto the reason we're here in the first place. Although, if you would be so kind, please ask your foreman to leave. What I'm about to tell you is considered a corporate secret after all."

After a few quick words, the foreman was gone and only Harry and Jacques remained. When Jacques did turn his attention back to Harry, he found the sharp dressed man holding a piece of purple gravity dust, about the size of a small coin, in the palm of his hand. Dust, even in crystal form, was still rather dangerous to hold; especially the ever unpredictable gravity dust.

"It's so interesting, how a single rock could be so valuable that people have managed to build entire kingdoms upon it. Wars have been waged, people have been slaughtered, and all over a special rock that grows ever more dangerous and rare," Harry said, squeezing his hand around the small crystal before opening it to reveal it had vanished into thin air, "But oh the things we can do with it. Some people sell it, other's steal it for their own gain, but only I have the ability to ensure the world never runs out."

Jacques made to comment, only for his eyes to shoot open wide and his jaw unhinge entirely. For with the very hand that Harry had crushed the gravity dust, he reached out and touched a large boulder that had yet to be removed from the mine. There was nothing special about the overly large rock, not a hint of dust was contained within, but in a matter of seconds it was transformed from a dull rock color to a mesmerizing purple. Every lass atom of the boulder was now crystalline dust ready to be shipped off onto the open market.

"By the gods," was all Jacques could get out, his mind racing with new found possibilities, but there was no doubt in Harry's mind that he now had the man's complete attention.

"Not quite," Harry chuckled as he turned around and approached Mr. Schnee, "While some people have overwhelming strength, or speed, or even the ability to teleport, mine is simply the ability of transmutation."

"Incredible, the things you could accomplish with such a semblance," Harry just looked amused, even if Jacques didn't notice, as if he knew some joke that no one else could understand.

"So, partners?" Harry smiled, holding out his hand.

"If you can hold up your end, which after seeing what I just saw I believe you can, then we're both about to make a _lot_ of money together. So, yes, partners," the deal had been sealed by an ancient power, unknown to Jacques, and Harry was well on his way to making a better world.

"Now, about your workers. How willing are you to part with them?"

(Dash)

Harry had been in Atlas for a little over two months now, slowly but surely building a sturdy foundation for his business while maintaining his ever growing relationship with the S.D.C.. In fact, as he was getting ready in the very luxurious penthouse apartment he bought, Harry was about to head off to a dinner with the Schnee family. Jacques was now eating out of his hands, seeing as Harry's mine almost out produced his own, and the man was quick to insure he continued to keep such a valuable resource close.

Standing in front of a full body mirror, Harry had just finished buttoning up and tucking in a dark green dress shirt. This was followed quickly by a true black vest, a golden chain leading to a pocket watch of all things, and a black slim tie. Next came his normal black coat, just back from the cleaners, and was accessorized by an elegant looking green silk scarf draped over his shoulders. It should also be noted that the head of his cane had turned from a lion to a raven with emerald gems for eyes.

Harry smiled at his reflection and whispered, "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. Hermione always did enjoy his work."

With that said, Harry grabbed his keys and was out the door in a flash. The clicking and clacking of his cane was heard all the way to his car, which held a very sharp dressed driver awaiting his arrival. The man, looking to be about the same age as Harry, was from the kingdom of Vacuo. Dark skin, neatly trimmed beard, and a black duckbill hat were the more noticeable things about him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," the driver greeted with a smile, opening up the back passenger door for Harry to get in.

"How's it going Earl, family treating you right?" Harry replied with a smile.

It should be noted that Earl was an ex-soldier, from a time that such a thing meant something to people, and as such he was more than capable of protecting his client when the need arose.

"Yes sir, the missus sends her thanks for that fish pie recipe. Told me to be extra polite today," Earl said before closing the door and jogging back around to the driver side; getting in and getting moving with expert efficiency.

"Ah, that explains why today's paper is waiting for me," Harry grinned, reaching over to the rolled up newspaper before flipping it open to help pass the time.

"She also wanted me to invite you over for dinner this Thursday night. I told her you were a busy man, but she made me promise to at least ask," that's the thing Harry learned about the people that lived in the city of Mantle down below Atlas, they could be some of the nicest people.

"I'd love to."

A short drive later and Harry's driver pulled into the Schnee's overly large driveway, which looked more like a parking lot with the amount of cars and finely dressed people moving about. It was just another bi-monthly ball hosted by the Schnee family to get all the wealthy and powerful together under one roof. Deals were being made behind closed doors, both legal and otherwise, while everyone got to see a man married into wealth flaunt what he managed to steal before anyone else. It made him some enemies, although show Harry a successful man and he'd show you ten others that wanted that man dead, but power and money provided quite a large amount of protection.

One of the many servants of the Schnee family wasted little time in opening up the passenger door for Harry. The sound of dozens of people trying to talk over one another grated on Harry's ears, but thankfully he was close to the main entrance and the sound of chattering monkeys was replaced by soft music. Harry was more than aware of the fact that many of the guests here weren't familiar with what it means to actually work for a living; not really. They all had soft hands, even the men, that bore no sign of proper struggle. Thankfully, among the crowd of ass kissers and boot lickers, Harry spotted someone he was familiar with. She may have been a rich girl, but Willow Schnee was anything but a chattering monkey like the rest of them.

They'd met not long after Harry and Jacques finalized their partnership, since he'd been invited to stay for dinner to celebrate, and boy had the two of them hit it off. Despite being a mother now, Willow still filled out her light blue dress rather spectacularly. Her hair was also now styled in a long braid instead of it's normal bun and a set of snowflake themed earrings hung from her ears. Although, judging from the annoyed look in her eyes in contrast to the polite smile on her face, Willow didn't look to be enjoying herself as much as everyone else. Harry's _saving people _thing made him move before anything else.

Willow Schnee may be a mother now, caring and nurturing to her little Winter, but there had been a time in her life where she was just as adventurous and outgoing as her father. Even if she was never trained at one of the four schools that occupied each of Remnant's four kingdoms, there wasn't a man or Grimm alive that survived the ferocity of her semblance when she put her mind to it. It was because of those years exploring with her father, who she oh so dearly missed since he moved away, that she didn't jump when a hand gently touched her bare shoulder and didn't belong to her husband. Instead, smiling slightly, Willow recognized the newest man her dear husband sunk his claws into.

Now she may not be the public figure of the S.D.C., something of which she had no idea how Jacques convinced her father to allow, but any person that enters her home was thoroughly vetted; especially with Winter still being young. Normally she'd find some skeletons, of one form or another, but everything on paper said Harrison James Potter was a saint without equal. He helped small businesses while still turning a profit, funded an orphanage in three of the four kingdoms, didn't appear to hold any hatred towards the faunus, and seemed to stay out of the media as much as possible. He was nice, too _nice_.

"Excuse me gentlemen, ladies, but I'm afraid I must steal Mrs. Schnee away from you all. Business and other such things," Harry flashed them a charming, bordering on condescending, grin as Willow allowed him to guide her away from the bunch of snakes.

"You'd think you a bully with how you just whisked me away from them; like children with their favorite toy being taken away," Willow chuckled just a bit, swiping a glass of champagne off a served walking past and taking a quick sip, "Still, thank you for dragging me away, I don't think I could stand another round of brown nosing."

"My pleasure," Harry said, "How have you been, Willow?"

"Well, I can't really complain. Winter is growing up so fast, Jacques is spending more and more time at the office, and managing a party every couple of months is starting to grow old. Still, things could always be worse. How about yourself, Harrison?" Willow inquired in return, wrapping her arm loosely around Harry's as they made their way through the crowded rooms and onto a balcony overlooking the garden.

"To be honest with you, Atlas is starting to bore me," Harry said rather bluntly, getting a very unladylike like snort from Willow.

"Yes, you do seem like the sort that enjoys to travel," Willow commented, "Much like my father, in fact. When I was just a girl, we'd fly to Vale and go camping in the forests just outside the kingdom."

Harry couldn't help but tease just a bit, "Oh really? _The_ Willow Schnee liked roughing it? No butlers for miles around?"

"Hush, it's not polite to tease a lady," Willow chastised, but there was no heat behind her words, and playfully slapped Harry's shoulder.

"Oh, my deepest apologies," he didn't sound sorry in the slightest.

"I'm sure," Willow liked Harry, he wasn't boring, "But enough small talk. I know you're here to talk to my husband and I'm sure he could use the distraction as much as I did."

As they walked back into the party, only Harry managed to catch a shadowy movement out the corner of his eye. Which is why, with a tap of his cane against the stone floor, the entire home came under his protection.

"Indeed, let's all have some fun."

* * *

**Otsutsuki no Yami: There's no proof that Jacques has an aura or semblance of any kind, so in this story he won't have on either. **

**muratira: Harry's position power wise isn't god level, not even the people in his own story could be considered god level, but he has grown with age. Harry won't be weak in CQC style fighting with a weapon, but at the same time he won't be able to go toe to toe with someone like Qrow, especially at his age. That doesn't mean he won't be able to use magic to make up for that shortcoming.**

**Haunton: That's a surprise.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"_A magician will make you look in one direction, to where you'd think the magic is, while really he's doing some crazy shit somewhere else. You never can tell what they'll do next, until it's already done._

_-?_

* * *

"Jacques, how have you been my friend?" Harry asked with a friendly enough smile, shaking his business partner's hand while Willow moved to stand next to her husband.

"As well as can be expected, Harrison, as well as can be expected," Jacques replied in kind, wrapping his arm around Willow's waist to hold her close, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"You see, Harrison, I told you. He's been spending far too much time working and not with his loving wife, who is beginning to miss his company," Willow put on the act of the dutiful wife rather well, almost fooling Harry with the way she clung onto Jacques and when her eyes lit up.

"Yes yes, I know dear," Jacques said, trying to appease his wife even if her clingy nature, as of late, was starting to grate on his nerves; the woman wanted his attention more than the company board!

"All to ensure his family is well taken care of, I'm sure. Even though I haven't known him for that long, I can already tell Jacques is the type of man that would do anything to protect his family," Harry knew that was only a half-lie, Jacques would do anything to protect the family _name_ he'd taken by marrying Willow; Harry found evidence of such.

Jacques practically preened under Harry's praise, barely even trying to hide his vanity, and as such missed the look his wife and business partner shared. The small mischievous grin made Willow stifle a very unladylike giggle, wondering if her husband realized he looked like a peacock strutting around with his tail feathers on full display. Still, Harry had come to this party for a reason and it most certainly wasn't to mingle among the Atlas elite, even if some of them looked rather fetching in their light blue dress. As unfortunate and troubling as it was to do business with a man like Jacques, Harry needed the man for just a bit longer.

Catching the sudden look in Harry's eye, Jacques knew he had business to attend to with his partner and thus turned to address his wife, "Willow, it seems Harrison and I have some business to attend to tonight, would you be a dear and entertain the guests for a while?"

Jacques didn't even wait for Willow to answer before moving away towards his nearest office, motioning for Harry to follow, and thus missing his wife's mask shatter and be replaced by an annoyed frown. Harry, on the other hand, was far from being stupid enough to disregard someone like Willow Schnee by leaving without a proper farewell. He'd spent many years learning to be a proper gentleman, as painful as some of those lessons were, and would be damned if he let it all go to waste now.

"It seems I'll be stealing your husband from you yet again," Harry said as he took Willow's hand and raised it to his lips, gently brushing them against her knuckles while never breaking eye contact with her, "I'll have to make it up to you some other time."

The frown on Willow's face was replaced by a smirk, a smirk that was somehow coy and borderline flirtatious at the same time, "You can do it tomorrow by joining me in the garden for lunch. My little Winter has been begging me to invite you over again so she can see your magic tricks and I won't be so bored while Jacques is away at the office."

"As my lady wishes, so shall it be," it wouldn't be all that far fetched to say talking with Willow made Harry feel much younger than he'd been in quite a while, or maybe she just brought back pleasant memories from his youth?

Moving through the crown of finely dressed people wasn't even a chore for Harry, the sound of his cane clicking and clacking against the tile floor was drowned out by the near non stop talking, and before long he entered one of the closed off hallways. Many of the staff at the Schnee manor knew their employer had business with Harry and thus were told to not bother the emerald eyed man unless it was _very very_ important. So something as simple as wandering the halls wouldn't even so much as ruffle their feathers.

Upon arriving at Jacques' office, Harry didn't even wait to enter without even so much as a knock. The office itself hadn't changed much since the last time he'd been there, which said a lot about Jacques as a person if not a supposed family man. Jacques himself was now sitting at his desk, his fancy jacked removed and resting over the back of his chair, while he slowly sipped on a glass of scotch with another untouched glass waiting for Harry.

"She's right you know, you look exhausted," Harry said as he took the offered glass and sat down in the chair on the other side of Jacques' desk, resting his cane against it, "When was the last time you took a day off?"

"Not since this damned White Fang movement began poking their noses where they don't belong," Jacques said with a tired yet frustrated sigh, downing his drink in a single gulp before moving to pour himself another, "I take it you've seen the news?"

"You mean about the S.D.C.'s sales dropping since the faunus boycott finally hit its stride, or the transports of refined dust seemingly vanishing before they reach any of the major kingdoms?" Harry wondered if he should hint to the man that he knew just _who_ was stealing from him, but then again Jacques was the type of man to just pin the blame on those he could later take advantage of.

"You'd think they'd be grateful that we practically gave them their own country all to themselves, almost free of charge! Now they have the nerve to demand more and target my company specifically!" Jacques all but sneered, growing upset at the mere thought of some animal attacking the company he'd worked so hard to improve over the years.

"Now now, no need to get so upset," Harry hid his mocking tone rather well, "Give it time and all of this will blow over. Before you know it, it will be back to business as usual and the S.D.C. will be back to 100%."

Jacques seemed so slump in his chair, unaware that Harry had subtly calmed him with a rather simple spell, and took a deep breath, "I don't know how you do it, Harrison. Put up with so many things and yet not be the slightest bit stressed. I haven't had a full night's rest in weeks."

"Well, a glass of scotch before bed helps and I never drink coffee after dinner," to be fair, Harry didn't like to drink coffee to begin with but couldn't deny how useful it was for those nights that work needed to get done.

"Ha! Ever since Winter was old enough, I haven't been allowed to drink outside of my office. Willow doesn't want her to learn our bad habits. (Sigh) But enough about all that, we're here to conduct business and that's exactly what we should be doing," Jacques sat up a bit straighter, topping off his glass before activating the computer built into his desk.

"Agreed," Harry nodded, "I'd been wanting to talk to you about purchasing another one of your mines, now that we've both seen what I've been able to do with the last one. If I'm not mistaken, then the one located just outside the kingdom of Vale is reportedly running low as well."

"Oh really, that information isn't exactly public knowledge," Jacques pointed out, not necessarily upset but more so wondering how his newest business partner found it out.

Harry just smiled, "The information made known to the public holds all the clues one needs to figure such things out. Such as why Vale has started receiving shipments from outside its borders instead of the S.D.C. factory you built there. Or why there was a sudden influx of unemployment in Vale's faunus population just a few weeks ago."

"Hm, sometimes I think you are much too smart, Harrison. Still, nevertheless, you are correct about that particular mine running low on usable dust. The largest vein was depleted some time ago and no new one has been discovered to replace it," Jacques freely admitted, pulling up the reports from that mine before shifting the view on his transparent screen so Harry could see the numbers, "However, be that as it may, it's not yet to the point that I feel the need to sell it off entirely."

"Unfortunate, but understandable. Although we might be partners, we're both rival businessmen. Albeit rivals that have a certain amount of respect for one another."

"That being said, perhaps there is another matter you can help me with. A matter that would see me lose interest in this mine and be more than willing to part with it," the bait was cast on Mr. Schnee's part and now he waited to see if Harry would bite, but a fisherman should always be wary of what he's fishing for.

"An interesting proposal," Harry murmured, leaning back in his seat while resting one leg over the other, "I'm listening."

"Men in both of our professions sometimes find ourselves with problems that can't just be paid off or ignored. Like a tick, it buries itself deep into the skin and causes nothing but problems until you remove it with just the right amount of force. In these types of situations, that right amount of force just so happens to be another group of people in another profession far less civilized than our own," Jacques explained.

"And this problem of yours that you wish for my _associates_ to take care of?" Harry inquired.

"While I can't cut off the head of the snake, at least without being bitten in the process, the snake can have its fangs removed. This group that has been making life and business difficult for me, the White Fang, has supporters within my various mines and factories. Now, I can deal with the ones in my factories easily enough, but it's the ones in my mines that I need help with. One mine in particular, the very one you wish to purchase for yourself, is causing the most amount of problems. If said mine was to have a rather disastrous cave in, let's say in one of the populated vanes, then I'd thus lose all interest in it and it would be yours for the taking."

"If your end goal is washing your hands of the mine, and thus the problems its workers have been giving you lately, then why not just sell it to me to begin with?" Harry inquired, finishing off his glass with one last sip before setting it down on Jacques' desk, "Unless there's another reason behind this?"

Jacques smiled at that, a smile that Harry didn't particularly like and made him want to smack the man, "I knew you were a sharp one, even before we got into business together. You're right about me having a side motive and that motive is I don't trust someone unless I know they're willing to get their hands just as dirty as mine. So far you've managed to stay relatively clean since appearing in Atlas, but that just makes me even more paranoid."

"Ah, I see now, you want something on me just in case I decide to one day turn against you. Something you could use to keep me in check. I must say, it's not a bad plan and I even admire it a bit," Harry said, a small grin on his face as sharp emerald bore into cold blue, "But in the end, all that matters to me is expanding my business and thus the profit I make. I'll contact my _associates_ and have something prepared by the end of the week."

Jacques actually looked a bit surprised at that, "So fast, that's rather impressive."

"Well," Harry's grin stretched just a bit more, "Lets just say the people I employ can just pop up wherever I need them to."

"Well then, I believe we have a deal," with that said, both men shook hands.

* * *

As promised, Harry once again returned to the Schnee residence the very next afternoon, just a few minutes before mid day. This time, instead of wearing a full and proper suit, Harry instead opted to leave the jacket at home and wear a black vest over his now red dress shirt; a tie wrapped around his neck with an intricate golden design to give it some flavor. Resting in his hand was also his original lion head cane, as compared to the raven one he had the previous night.

_KNOCK. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...KNOCK._

Harry tapped on the front door in a simple tune and smiled when Klein opened the door not a few moments later.

"Mr. Potter, good evening. Mrs. Schnee and Ms. Schnee are awaiting your arrival in the garden. If you would follow me, please," Klein said, the ever dutiful butler, as he led the way through the maze that was the Schnee manner without ever breaking his stride.

Upon arriving in the gardens, which was decorated by a brick path with rose bushes on each side and a gazebo right in the middle, Willow sat at a metal and glass table and seemed to be watching someone run through the miniature maze of flowers and trees with a smile on her face. Willow, much like Harry, had also toned down the fanciness of her dress for a more relaxed look. For she now wore a more simple white dress, without any extravagant designs, and even wore her hair down. For a moment the sun hit her just right and made her look like an honest to god angel.

"Madam," Klein spoke up as he and Harry approached the lone mother, "Mr. Potter has arrived."

Willow looked away from whomever she was watching, Harry assumed it was her daughter and nodded politely, "Thank you, Klein, let the cooks know to begin right away."

"Yes, Madam!"

Klein had already vanished back into the estate by the time Harry was invited to sit next to Willow, the married woman gesturing to the seat next to her while turning her gaze back towards the garden. You wouldn't know it by just looking, but the entire garden was temperature regulated by small amounts of fire dust, thus allowing it to remain warm enough for plants not native to Atlas to grow so high up in the sky. Harry supposed it was just another luxury for those that had the money to afford it, not that he'd ever done such a thing; that would be just _so_ irresponsible.

"For a moment, I thought you wouldn't be coming," Willow spoke up, breaking the ice between them, "I'd have been most displeased."

"Well, I feared you'd sick little Winter upon me. After last time I fear what those big blue eyes could convince me to do," Harry chuckled, recalling the first time he'd shown the Schnee heiress one of his many magic tricks; the little terror all but demanded he become her own personal magician.

"Fair enough," Willow giggled into her hand, her eyes alight with mirth, "She's been an unstoppable ball of energy ever since I told her you'd be stopping by for lunch. I truly felt bad for Klein, you seem to have replaced him in my dear daughter's heart as the coolest person outside the family."

"Well I…" whatever Harry was about to say was cut off when a loud scream tore through the garden.

"Harry!" like a white bullet, Winter Schnee slammed into Harry with enough force to almost send the older man toppling back out of his seat, although fortunately for the both of them he was a lost sturdier than he looked.

"Winter!" Willow tried to admonish her daughter's lack of decorum, but it had little effect when she was also trying not to laugh.

"Harry! Harry! Harry! Do a trick! Do a trick!" Winter chanter, smiling up at him with her front two teeth missing, jumping up and down while using his knees for support.

Momentarily taken aback by the little girl's sudden arrival, it took the aged wizard a moment to get his bearings back. With a grin that would have done his parents proud, Harry clasped his hands together and focused his magic. When he opened them again, Winter's already excited eyes grew even wider when a miniature pony made of ice shot out of his palm, danced around her head a few times, before taking off into the garden. Needless to say, it didn't take long for Winter to go chasing after it with all the glee a child her age possessed.

"Well, that should keep her busy for a while."

* * *

**Beatdown183: Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, spoilers and all that fun stuff.**

**EliteShadow: Well this is me giving you more and this is you wanting even more.**

**WearyCurmudgeon: All good points for me to think about going forward, also your right about the age and I should have been clearer on that. What I meant was that he **_**looked **_**fifty, not that he was fifty. Also, the reason I didn't have Harry marry Willow before the kids were born was because they likely wouldn't have actually been born; realistically at any rate.**

**Guest #1: Jacques is the type of man that sets himself up for a fall, so all Harry has to do is stand back and watch. Also, I'm not gonna let Jacques take the easy way out through assassination, because that would be obvious and I like a fun ride.**

**Lazymanjones96: And now you have more.**

**NazgulBelserion: I thought some people would like the cane idea and I did get it from playing far too much DMC 5.**

**EmeraldGuardian7: The main reason I made this story was to try and get an influx of new material, since most stories have a young strapping protagonist that joins the youngsters in their fight. So one day I thought to myself "Why not let the older generation give it a shot?" and now here we are with a refined Harry.**

**Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the support I've been getting on this story so far and I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter, even if it was a bit shorter than normal. Really it was just to set things up and move the plot along.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"_It is not a shame to be deceived; but it is to stay in the deception."_

_-?_

* * *

News spread quickly about the sudden collapse of the S.D.C.'s Vale mine, supposedly due to one of the support beams giving way when a bit of heavy machinery drove into it, and not a week later Harrison had the deed to it; Jacques even sent over a bottle of wine from his personal collection. Officially some faunus had been trapped in the mine when everything went down, the local news reported as such and that apparently the faunus had no extended family, but that was a lie. The truth is that no one died in the collapse and rather it was _made_ to look like they did. Harry wasn't about to lower himself to killing a group of miners just to get on Jacques Schnee's good side; not when the man himself was so easy to fool.

"_We did just as you ordered, sir. The faunus that were supposed to die in the mine collapse are now on their way out of the kingdom. As far as anyone is concerned, a few nameless and faceless individuals tragically died,_" came a voice over Harry's scroll while the man himself was working on a much larger scroll, furthering along his other plans and drinking a nice cup of personally made tea while he was at it.

"You and your people always did do the best work," Harry chuckled, leaning back in his chair as his fingers typed away at a steady pace, "I've already transferred the funds into your account and added in a bonus because of how fast I needed you to get this done."

"_If you need anything else it will have to wait a while. The locals are starting to take notice of us and we'll have to move pretty soon, so I'll be out of scroll range for a few weeks_," while it may have been a problem if his little deal with Jacques had been pushed back, Harry didn't see any need for his _friends_ for the foreseeable future.

"I'll manage, safe travels," the scroll went dead a few moments later and Harry began flipping through the various files he kept on hand, mostly related to the rise and fall of S.D.C. stocks along with various other companies he was invested in.

He'd learned quite a lot about how Remnant's economy worked, from trade between the various kingdoms to how major companies weren't penalized for monopolizing specific goods; unlike earth where such a thing had long since been dealt with. It's how companies like the S.D.C. were able to have it so they owned almost every dust mine on the planet and their products were sold in every kingdom. On the flip side, that meant Harry didn't have to put up with those same restrictions when it came to corporate warfare. He could employ spies, use bribes so long as he didn't get caught, but it was his newest strategy that he decided to test on Jacques Schnee.

All in all, in just a few short months, everything should be taken care of rather splendidly.

"Hm, I wonder," Harry murmured as he picked up his smaller scroll and swiped through his few personal contacts, settling on a number, and hitting the dial button.

The scroll rang for a few moments, Harry patiently tapping his fingers against his desk, before the person on the other line picked up.

"_Hello?_" Willow's voice came from the other end, sounding a depressing mixture of completely bored and slightly depressed; Harry felt like it was his civic duty to change that.

"I hope I'm not calling at a bad time," Harry's voice was smooth like honey.

"_Harrison!_" the bored tone was now very much gone, "_I wasn't expecting to hear from you today. Didn't you say you'd be busy for the next few weeks?_"

"Well I managed to get all those boring things out of the way and thought I'd perhaps have the honor of taking you to lunch? We could have little Winter along as well," Harry really did enjoy seeing the little Schnee, so full of energy and wanting to explore every little thing she could set her eyes upon.

He could almost hear the smile as Willow answered, "_That...That sounds wonderful. Where shall I have the driver take us? I know of a particularly good restaurant that serves the best Mistralian dishes you've ever even dreamed of, or maybe something imported from Vale?_"

"Actually, I was wondering if you mind me cooking for the three of us?"

"_Y-You, I didn't know you could cook,_" the surprise in her voice was pleasant to the ears; it made Harry smile just a bit.

"I'm a man of many talents. So, what do you say?'

"_We'll be by within the hour, perhaps less if Winter has her way,_" Willow was already on the move towards her own personal closet, which was about the size of an apartment room if the rumors were to be believed.

Harry had a feeling that last little bit wasn't meant to be heard by him, but he still filed that bit of information away for later use. The fact that recent events have already put such a strain on Jacques' personal life was a boon in Harry's favor and one a more sinister man would use in less than savory ways. Fortunately, he was a gentleman and such _barbaric_ tactics had long since been put in the past as far as he was concerned. Never involve innocent people if you can help it and even then try to minimize the damage.

"I'll be sure to put my best foot forward," the smile on Harry's lips grew just a bit wider, "So I'll see you in an hour."

"_Yes, in an hour_," Willow paused for just a moment, the phantom sensation of being both excited and nervous filled her stomach with butterflies.

"I'll be eagerly waiting."

The older Potter leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly reaching out to finish off his cup of still steaming tea, and gazed out the large window of his room. What a wonderful view this was, what a wonderful world, and it was for those two traits that he couldn't help but wonder what kind of idiot would name such a place _Remnant_. This wasn't the remnant of some old great society, but the infancy of a new one on the cusp of adolescence. All it needed was a guiding hand in which to grow and a strong hand to reign it in when people inevitably got a bit too rowdy.

"But first things first," Harry said, getting to his feet and walking over to his own closet, "What to wear?"

* * *

Willow felt like she was completely overdressed for an afternoon lunch at Harrison's penthouse apartment, with her elegant light blue dress decorated with just the barest hints of red dust; isolated and made relatively harmless of course. Then there was little Winter in her own little dress, so full of life and energy that she all but bounced the entire ride and up the elevator to the top floor. To everyone else, it would look as if the two Schnee women were going out to some expensive restaurant for a fancy lunch, cooked by the finest chiefs the Atlas had to offer, instead of a friend's home. It didn't help matters that this person she was seeing just so happened to be both attractive and a rising star the whole of Remnant over.

"Mama," Winter said, getting her mother's attention, "Knock Knock."

Sure enough, Willow was just standing in front of Harry's door, a healthy blush dusting her cheeks at apparently being caught by her daughter. Thankfully Winter was far too young to understand why her mother's face had just turned red, but it was seemingly all for naught. For, just as Willow raised her hand to knock, the door clicked and swung open to reveal the master of the residence in all his raven haired glory.

He wore a dress shirt of all things, white for the base with thin gray lines running vertically up and down, offset by a black vest and a white apron tied around his waist over his black dress pants. Willow noticed the first few buttons of his shirt were undone, giving him an unkempt yet not altogether attractive look that she didn't know he could pull off. The soft sound of violin music in the background, coming from somewhere in his apartment, made this whole scene look like something out of a movie of some sorts; like one of those old romance ones her mother used to enjoy.

A smile spread over his handsome face, Willow would never admit aloud that it did things to her stomach that weren't all together unpleasant, "Willow, and little Winter, please come in. I'm almost done with our lunch."

Winter was much less reluctant to enter the apartment that Willow was, slipping from her mother's hand and running right past Harry with a squeal of delight not unlike that of a puppy. Green met blue again and Harry's smile widened just a hair, just enough for Willow to notice, and with a grand gesture he stepped back and motioned for her to enter. She did so with a small nod and a word of thanks.

"Wow, what's that smell?" Willow's mouth spoke before her brain could stop such a blunt and embarrassing secret statement.

"That," Harry seemed to pause for dramatic effect, leading her into what was apparently the kitchen/dining room and where the homely smell was most prevalent, "Would be out lunch simmering down and awaiting the final touches."

Winter was already sitting at the bar/island in the kitchen, which also sat the dust powered stove and one large pot of _something_ that made Willow's mouth water even from this distance. The little one looked like she was about to dive over the bar and sneak an early bite of whatever Harry was cooking, but seeing the two adults stayed that plan, if only for a moment. Winter was nothing if not crafty, but sadly not nearly as sneaky as she thought she was. Such as how Willow caught her sneaking into the kitchens just a few nights ago to steal some sweets.

"Thank you, Harrison, for inviting us over. It was getting rather lonely in that big old place and I'm not sure the help could keep up with Winter for much longer," Willow knew Harry could read between the lines, the way his eyes glinted said as much, and they both knew what she really wanted to say could never be giving true form.

_I was lonely and Jacques has been too busy for his wife and daughter._

"It's my pleasure; besides, lunch is always better with company and the two of you are the only ones I know best in this entire city," Harry said, walking over to the oven and turning it off, reaching down to pull out a dish of slice meat of some sort before placing it on the marble island top.

"What for lunch?" Winter asked, peering up at Harry.

"Winter," Willow chastised ever so slightly, "Proper pronunciation, remember."

"Sorry mommy. _What's_ for lunch, Mr. Harry?" Harry found it cute how hard Winter tried to act grown up, mirroring the way Willow sat as best she could and tilting her head up like a proper Schnee should.

Harry's smile widened even more, "Something I think you'll both enjoy."

* * *

Mantle, the city and the kingdom, had once been the crown jewel of all Remnant; leading the way in technological innovation and the harvesting of dust buried deep within the planet. It was after the Great War that everything changed, starting with the capital being moved from Mantel to the now floating city of Atlas, then renaming the entire kingdom to Atlas as well. Thus began the inevitable decline in Mantle, now forever in the shadow of Atlas city, and those left behind suffered greatly for those that went above. It is why Harry found himself walking the snow covered streets, his cane clicking against the concrete pathway as he passed both the homeless and those of a more _unsavory_ profession.

Many of the stores were boarded up by now, either closed down completely or from having been broken into, and it was among the poor and desperate that true diamonds in the rough could be found. People with the drive and determination to rise up out of the proverbial muck that was poverty and declare, with a loud and unyielding voice, that they would never return to such a state again. He'd done it before, to an entire tribe of bandits living in the wilds, half starved, and now he had capable agents that were ready and willing to do any task he himself could not be connected to. Sure, it was underhanded, but sometimes you had to get your hands dirty to fix the problem.

It was why, when he turned down an alleyway and found himself being held at knife point by a young girl with bright amber eyes. A smile stretched across his lips, she was so full of potential.

"Hello there, little one."


End file.
